A large-scale study in the United States has found that one out of 10 premature births is linked with pregnant women’s exposure to phthalates — chemicals commonly found in consumer plastic goods. Frequently used to soften plastic, phthalates are found in items from plastic wrapping and containers to toys and personal care products, reported AFP. […]
Newly discovered documents confirm that the petroleum and automobile industries funded the early climate science of Charles David Keeling at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) from 1954 to 1956. Keeling became known for the “Keeling Curve,” which demonstrated the upward trajectory of the planet’s carbon dioxide levels. The documents show that industry leaders were […]
According to a new global policy report — The Economics of the Food System Transformation by the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) — how food is produced and consumed worldwide is leading to environmental damage and health impacts that add up to about 12 percent of the world’s annual gross domestic product. The researchers found […]
The EU has drafted rules that will require companies linked to microplastic pollution to partially pay for cleanup. Companies will have to pay at least 80% of microplastic recovery costs, while the government will subsidize the rest. The proposed plan identifies specific industries that would need to help pay for the cleanup, also known as […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Slow Fashion? Back in 2007, design activist Kate Fletcher coined the term “slow fashion” when talking about the needs for systems-level change in the fashion industry. It was a hat tip towards the Slow Food Movement, which began in Italy as pushback against the fast food industry, overproduction and waste, […]
China is the world leader in renewable energy, including 40 percent of the planet’s entire solar capacity, reported Rystad Energy. The United States comes in second place with 12 percent. Last year, China installed more new solar capacity than the total amount ever installed in any other country, Bloomberg reported. “China’s solar sector is set […]
Following pressure from climate activists, the Biden administration announced a freeze on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits while it examines their effects on climate change. The move could delay decisions on new LNG plants until after the presidential election in November, reported Reuters. “This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis […]
The European Union is in the process of drafting a climate target for 2040 to serve as a bridge between its net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 55 percent by 2030 and its goal of net zero by 2050, reported Reuters. New draft documents from the European Commission said the EU must invest about […]
According to Electricity 2024, a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), electricity demand worldwide is expected to accelerate during the next three years, a press release from the IEA said. However, the additional demand is forecast to be covered by clean energy technologies. Nuclear power is on course to reach a record high […]